Near Threatened (Probable Decline) [lack of recruitment, some pops have collapsed; Cox Scrub, Newland Head patches show how hot clean burn is important not cold burns, therefore require appropriate fire regimes for survival]

Banksia named after Sir Joseph Banks (1743-1820), a 19th century botanist and president of the Royal Society who travelled with Captain Cook on his first voyage to 'New Holland' in 1770. Ornata Latin for adorned, ornate.

Distribution:

Found across the lower regions of South Australia, south of Nuriootpa and lower Eyre Peninsula on sandy soils on dunes or over limestone or laterite, in mallee shrubland or low woodland. Also found in Victoria.

Status:

Native. Common in South Australia. Common in Victoria.

Plant description:

Bushy, branching shrub to 3m tall with green, hairless and finely serrated leaves. Young leaves are hairy and copper coloured. Flowers are creamy in a large ovoid cluster. Flowering occurs all year round.

Fruit type:

Large, hairy, woody cones with numerous valves.

Seed type:

Dark brown to black, flat, triangular seed to 10mm long with a large wing around one end.

Place the cones in a tray and leave to dry until the valves open. Alternatively, place the cones in an oven at low temperatures to speed up the process. Then place the dried cones in a bucket and shake to dislodge the seeds from the valves. Separate the seeds from the fruit and store the seeds with a desiccant such as dried silica beads or dry rice, in an air tight container in a cool and dry place.

Seed viability:

From one collection, the seed viability was high, at 80%.

Seed germination:

Seeds are non-dormant, viable seed should germinate readily.

Seeds stored:

Location

No. of seeds(weight grams)

Numberof plants

Datecollected

Collection numberCollection location

Datestored

% Viability

Storagetemperature

BGA MSB

17751775

85

9-Jan-2004

MKJ 16Kangaroo Island

1-Sep-2004

80%

+5°C, -18°C

Location: BGA — the seeds are stored at the Adelaide Botanic Gardens, MSB — the seeds are stored at the Millennium Seed Bank, Kew, England.Number of plants: This is the number of plants from which the seeds were collected.Collection location: The Herbarium of South Australia's region name.% Viability: Percentage of filled healthy seeds determined by a cut test or x-ray.